Hayley's Replacement
by FotoBridgeT2
Summary: Hayley sees a BAU press conference and it makes things very clear to her about AAron's feelings. Takes place during "Apocalypse Now" one of my Hotch/Prentiss pieces


HAYLEY'S REPLACEMENT

_(AN I do not have the time to edit fanfiction, so please excuse minor spelling or grammar errors. I write for a living--fanfiction is just for fun. THESE are rough drafts that are strictly for enjoyment, so there will be plenty of minor errors. Unless they detract from the quality of the story--please just over look them.)_

_This takes place during chapter ten of Apocalypse Now. That story is necessary to understanding the sequence of events in this one. The proper reading order for my stories are: "Horror Movies, Statistics and a Lifetime", "Emily's Mr. Right", "For Now and Forever", "Haunted Hotel", "Hotch's Dark Eyed Obsession", "Apocalypse Now", "Conversations", "Walk on the Beach"—not posted yet, "Superhero Family", "Rossi's Ready", "Hayley's Replacement", "Fourteen Days"—not posted yet, "Hope", and any others I stick in there somewhere! All are set in the same reality, and tell the story of Hotch and Emily's evolving relationship. I will be writing more stories that come after "Hope" and continue the same universe, so please keep an eye out. Enjoy!_

_HAYLEY'S REPLACEMENT_

Hayley wanted to scream at the man on the other end of the phone, but she wasn't angry with Dave. No, she was angry at Aaron, and noone deserved her wrath but him.

He'd promised to keep Jack for the weekend, it was coming up on Thursday, and she'd not heard a word from him. And he wasn't answering his cell phone.

"Listen, Hayley. I'm watching the press conference right now. Channel eighty-seven. If you don't believe me, turn it on. I'm sure he'll get back with you as soon as he can." Rossi said, from Hotch's office phone.

He'd went in to the office after watching the first press conference to get a few files, both for the project he was working on for Strauss, and to keep his mind fresh.

Basically, he'd just wanted to be out there doing something productive, rather than sitting at home looking at his mangled arm. He'd used his spare key to Hotch's office to get some of the files he was looking for and had ended up working at Hotch's desk. It had just happened, and when the phone had rang, he'd answered out of habit.

It reminded him why he never answered his _own _exes' telephone calls.

"Look, their showing what exactly happened out there, and I need to watch it. One of my colleagues was hurt. I'm sure Hotch will get back to you as soon as he can." With that Rossi hung up the phone very gingerly.

Hayley actually felt the desire to stomp her foot, her resentment of the BAU and it's members making her feel bitter and guilty all together.

She'd used to be so proud that Aaron was the one making monsters go away. Until she'd learned that those monsters made Aaron go away, too.

She flipped on the television, knowing Jack wouldn't wake from his nap for at least another hour. Just to see what was going on.

Nancy Grace was speaking on the screen, loud and emphatic as usual. "These are a series of clips detailing exactly what has happened over the last few days, at the Nortan Springs Police Station in California. Listen closely to the words this man, this _chief of police, _says. To an _FBI Agent. _Is it always like this for female law enforcement agents? Take a look and we'll have callers after the video."

Hayley watched as a grainy video filled the screen. It showed a young blond and she recognized it as the media liaison for Aaron's team. She hadn't heard she was pregnant, but the shape of her stomach was unmistakable. Hayley couldn't remember if Agent Jareau had ever mentioned dating anyone. Hayley watched in disbelief as several men—dressed in uniforms—badgered the young woman. Watched as the more dramatically dressed blonde she vaguely recalled as working with Aaron was pushed rudely aside. She could hear them teasing both women crudely, and she looked down the hall quickly, making sure little Jack's door hadn't opened. He didn't need to hear those things. Hell, _she _didn't need to hear the comments being said to the women she'd met and liked.

She watched as Agent Prentiss—whom she'd only met once or twice—stepped into the frame. Moved in front of her colleague. The woman whom Aaron had been strangely reluctant to ever talk about. She knew it had always grated on him that she'd been assigned to his team without his approval. How he'd felt she was there to spy on the rest of the team.She gasped as Agent Jareau vomited on the man's shoes. She remembered those days from her own pregnancy. She tightened her hands on the arms of the chair when the man actually jerked toward JJ. _Was he really going to attack her? Oh, God, where was Aaron and the rest of his team? _

Hayley might not have been a profiler but she'd spent years married to one—and the woman who stepped in front of Jareau to protect her, didn't have an alternate agenda.

Hayley actually covered her mouth at the filth spewing in SSA Prentiss's direction. _Bitch, whore, _other words Hayley cringed at hearing. All rained out of the man's mouth as he jerked the dark haired woman against his chest, looked down her shirt.

She actually cheered when the woman kneed the son-of-a-bitch where it mattered most.

The filming stopped for a moment, and Nancy Grace reappeared. "It's not over, folks. Some people just don't know when to stop. Take a look at the rest of the video."

The second clip showed the same players, only Aaron, SSA Morgan and Spencer were present as well. Watched as her ex confronted the son-of-a-bitch who'd said such vile things to SSA Prentiss.

Nearly dropped the remote when the man told Aaron to get his little whore out of his precinct. Said he'd give SSA Prentiss something to enjoy—something a whole lot hotter than what she was getting from Aaron.

Moved closer to the television when the man she'd been with for over twenty years lost his temper in a way she'd never, ever, seen him do. Feared for a moment, he'd kill the man—right there on screen.

She watched in complete puzzlement and astonishment as Spencer jumped out of Aaron's way, as Morgan and another man she didn't recognize jumped to block Aaron's path. As Aaron struggled against them both and would have made it around them.

But SSA Prentiss stopped him.

Hayley watched as SSA Prentiss--Hayley couldn't even remember her first name--wrapped one hand around Aaron's arm and said his name. Called him by that nickname she'd always abhorred.

And he stopped. Just like that. Just pulled back.

Just that simple, he did what SSA Prentiss wanted, no argument, no battle, none of the _hell_ that had characterized _her _every request for the last few years of their marriage.

When had that happened?

Hayley's mind was so filled with assimilating the idea that Aaron might have found someone else that quickly after the divorce was final, that she didn't hear Richard's key in the lock.

Richard worked in the legal department of the FBI. She'd met him six months ago, when dropping Jack off at the Bureau for a visitation weekend with Aaron. They'd been sleeping together since the week after the divorce was final. He'd had a key for nearly a month, now.

Unlike Aaron, Richard never went into the field, was never gone for more than an overnight consultation. Never bottled everything up inside and shut her out.

This weekend marked a turning point in their relationship. They were going out of town for the weekend, and Aaron was supposed to keep Jack. If she could get a hold of him by Friday afternoon, that was.

"Hi, sweetheart. What are you doing?" Richard asked in his slightly nasal tone.

"Press conference for the BAU." She said, hesitantly. He didn't really like hearing her speak of Aaron. Their divorce was still a little to recent for him to be entirely comfortable.

Especially since he worked in the same building as Aaron.

Aaron had something of a reputation, apparently. And Richard was scared of him.

Hayley had reassured him that Aaron would never physically lash out against anyone, no matter what the provocation.

She wasn't so sure about that after what she'd just seen.

She sighed, eyes still on the screen, as she wondered briefly—_when was the last time he'd fought like that for her? _Instead of fighting with her.

She couldn't remember.

As Richard leaned in to kiss her, she closed to her eyes and made one wish for the man she'd always care about. She _had _spent the last twenty years of her life with Aaron, and she'd always have a place in her heart for the father of her child.

She wished, briefly, that he'd find someone who'd understand him better than she ever had.

Someone who'd know him better than himself.

Aaron deserved that.

Maybe SSA Prentiss could be that person.


End file.
